1. "in respons to message #2"
Posted by fritz on Mar-25th-04 at 3:33 PM

Topic ”Essay in The Hatchet by Fritz

fritz:
In response to message # 2


You seem to have some dificulties about what to think. Maybe I can help you – and others – a little bit along the way by adding some evidence which I forgot to discuss in my essay. It concerns Morse and the cellar door (page 28, p 1.27). My point is that, coming back from the Emery´s, Morse went into the back yard with the sole purpose to establish that the cellar door was open. He was anxious to show that the killer could have entered the house, undetected, at some time during the night. To his disappointment he found the door closed and bolted.

Despite that, at the pretrial (p.264 – 265 and 268 – 269) he said that he had seen the cellar door open when he returned from the Emery´s. But when Knowlton, clearly sceptical, pressed him he immediately backtracked. If others said it was closed he would not contradict them and so on. Had he told anyone of his observation? Yes, he thought he had. Someone investigating the murders? He wasn´t sure. Knowlton himself? Oh no! Did he not know that the police was eager to establish how the killer could access the house? And so on. You can read those pages yourself and you will find that Morse gives a most difinite impression of being scared. You don´t? Well, what about  this, then?

A reporter had the following to say about Morse´s performance at the pretrial: ”Mr. Morse was dreadfully ill at ease during District Attorney Knowlton´s examination. He wrung his hands and twisted and untwisted his long gray trousered legs in excessive nervousness. When he passed into the hands of the counsel for the defense, however, he seemed to take heart, stood straightly, spoke up and faced the people.”  (Kent: The LB Sourcebook, page 161, col.1).

There are other indications that the cellar door was uppermost in Morse´s as well as Lizzie´s minds. On the murder day Morse asked Asst Marshall Fleet if Fleet thought that the killer could have been concealed in the house the house during the night. (Witness´ statements….page 3).
And at about 7 am on August 5 Officer Edson was in the kitchen when Lizzie entered. Lizzie said: ”Maggie, are you sure the back cellar door was fastened?” Bridget replied: ”Yes, Marm.” (Witness statements….page 35-36)

Probably Bridget had accidentally discovered that the cellar door was open, perhaps when she returned the pail to the laundry, her window washing finished. Then she fastened it. She kept quiet about it out of fear that the police would think her resposible for the killer´s access, either by negligence or by purpose.

Covering up a lapse in expected behavior sounds very reasonable. I wasn't there, but wouldn't some emotion have been shown with this story? "Of course I locked it, do you think I'm stupid?"

When I have read that about the cellar door and Morse's inference that it was open or unlocked, always made it seem that he was being cagey and crafty to not tell an officer but tell  Charles Holmes., like selling a rumor after the fact, in case it could not be proved otherwise.
And yes it seems like his purpose in going first to the back yard does seem to be so that he could later give his "observation" that he thought the cellar door was open.  It sounded like he was committed to this testimony regardless of any reasonable question.
I don't know how trustworthy the newsman is in saying Morse kept shifting his stance- how can Morse twist his legs if he is standing?  It gives the impression of a little kid having to "go'.

When do you hypothesize that Bridget found the cellar door open and locked it?  Did she say she went down to the cellar after cleaning the windows?
If Thursday, she did not see, while she was down there, Lizzie's pail of bloody rags?
How many times Thursday do you think Bridget went to the cellar?

That would depend on whether she used the WC or the privy behind the barn. How many times would you estimate on an 80F day?

Kat, I think the reporter's observation is clumsily written and may have validity one of two ways: 1) he was seated and squirming, then stood up; 2) he was twisting the fabric of the trousers with his hands.

The cellar door sounds like somebody messed up something, doesn't it?  Either Bridget, a nonconspirator, closed the door, or Lizzie or Morse or ? forgot to leave it open.  If Morse discovered it closed and wasn't sure whether the police had done it, he may well have been testing the waters!  Very interesting detail here!

--Lyddie

They did stand to give evidence.  It sounds contrived to me- that report.  Maybe there is another paper which confirms this twisting?
I can't assume he was using his hands, tho- maybe another source?